Gajar ka Halwa (Carrot dessert)

Gajar ka Halwa is liked by almost everyone from a kid to a granny. It reminds me of the wonderful moments back in my childhood when it was being cooked in the kitchen. There always used to be a "sense of impatience" which could only be resisted till the taste-check (which was recommended by me - WHITE LIE) before it could be off the stove.
Gajar ka Halwa is a dessert which is most popular in Northern India. It is made by simmered carrots, in sugar and milk in desi ghee (clarified butter). This sweet is more on calorie factor, so i have tweaked it a little bit and made a lighter version of it to suit our palette

Ingredients
Carrots 6 or 7 medium nos (750 gms)
2 tbsp of Ghee
250 ml Milk
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp of Cardamom powder

Garnish
Raisins
Cashew nuts
Almonds
Serving : 4 people


Method 


Peel and grate the carrots. Heat up a pan and add the ghee. Let it melt and then put the shredded carrots and stir it for the next five minutes. you would see a changing color of the carrots. Check  the carrots for mushiness. It should be nearly done. Add milk to the pan and give it a stir. Let the milk simmer with carrots for about 7 minutes. Add sugar to it and mix it. Let it simmer for a while. Add 1/2 tsp of Cardamom powder to it for the aroma.
For garnishing, Take another pan, add 1 tsp of ghee to it. Toast some almonds and cashewnuts in the ghee. Switch off the flame and add the raisins. Add this to the Gajar ka Halwa. This dessert is ready to be served.


P.S: I made it as a side dish with Puri (Fried Indian bread) for one of our Iftars (Breaking the fast-meal)

China Grass Pudding

China Grass is another name for Agar-agar. It is a Vegetable ‘gelatine’ derived from a number of seaweeds (Gelidium amansii) which are processed by boiling and drying. It is used as a setting agent in Asian countries. 

It is available in powdered form or as dried strands. If using Strands, always cut  them with scissors into small pieces and soak them into water for 10-15 min.

You can try out different versions of this recipe with fruits and dry nuts.

Here is the base version of this recipe

Ingredients


1/2 litre Milk
3 pods Cardamom
4 strands Nutmeg
7 tsps Sugar
5 or 6 Almonds
5 or 6 Kishmish/ Currants
1 packet of China Grass powder
2 Tbsps Milkmaid/Khoya/ Condensed milk (Optional)
Edible colour


Directions


Boil Milk in a pan. Take some milk from the pan and dissolve China grass in it till it melts completely.
Simmer milk on slow fire. Add sugar, powdered cardamom and nutmeg to the milk. Let it simmer till the sugar dissolves.
Mix in china grass and bring it to a boil. Keep stirring it for 5 minutes.
Cool it for 10 minutes and put in a rinsed flat dish.
Set in a cool place or in a refrigerate till it turns firm.
Cut into pieces, mix with fruits and serve it.


P.S: You can divide the  milk into two parts and add different edible colours to them I prefer lighter  one at the bottom and darker one on the top. Seems interesting for children.
I tend to use fruits from my refridgerator, be it any. Cut them into thin slices and arrange at the bottom of the flat dish, so that when you turn it upside down, It sort of gives an absolute presentation.

Falooda (Persian dessert)

This delectable entree' is being sent to Hyderabadi Ramadan Food Festival 2012 (Season IV) on Mona's blog - Zaiqa.

Falooda is a traditional Persian cold dessert. It was brought to the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal period. Basil seeds (sabza/takmaria), tutti frutti, sugar, and ice cream can be add-ons for this dessert. 

Fond memories of mine take me to a Sundarm Snacks store in Jamnagar, (a city in Gujarat) where we (Our family) used to have Falooda. I have never tasted anything close to it till now.

I have made it several  times at my home.and I have always fared well. The add –ons in Falooda depends on each one’s liking. My husband avoids the basil seeds so I need to serve it without the basil seeds. But I love crushing those velvety seeds inside my mouth. Just seeing those glasses served with falooda in the refrigerator tempts me to the core. But Damn…I need to wait for evenings to gorge it on.

FALOODA (Serves 4)

Ingredients

2 cups boiled milk

1 cup semolina or vermicelli

4 pods cardamom

2 drops of rosewater

Rose squash (Roofahza)

8 tsps of sugar

2 tbsps Milkmaid (Condensed milk)

Cashew nuts

Almonds

Pistachios

Directions

Take ¾ cup of water and add 2 tsp of basil seeds to it and keep it aside.

Take water in a pan to boil. Add semolina to the boiling water and let it boil till half done. Add 1 cup of milk to the water and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add 6 tsps of sugar to the semolina. And pinch of cardamom powder (equals 2 of them).Keep it aside.

Take the remaining milk and let it simmer for a while. Add 2 tsps of sugar, pinch of cardamom powder (equals 2 of them).  Add 2 tbsps of milkmaid and 2 drops of rose water to the milk. Add cashew nuts, almonds, Pistachios. Keep some aside for garnishing. Let it cool.

Serve it in preferably long glass. Add 3 tsps of Rose squash (I use Roohafza), top it up with the semolina and then with the basil seeds. Add the milk from the top. Garnish it with almonds, pistachios and cashew nuts.

Refrigerate it. And savour it cool.

You can top it up with dollop of vanilla ice-cream when serving. (Optional).